A man has been charged in connection with the murder of Polish national Patryk Krupa in Co Westmeath on Friday.

The remains of Mr Krupa (23) were discovered in the River Shannon at Bogganfin in Athlone, Co Roscommon.

32-year-old Leszek Sychulec with an address at Drinan, Ballymahon, Co Longford was charged with falsely imprisoning the deceased and assault causing harm at Bogganfin on June 20 at a special sitting of Athlone District Court on Sunday.

Mr Sychulec was further charged with threatening to kill or cause harm to Ewa Krasinska at Athlone Garda Station on June 21.

A Polish interpreter was in court as Garda Aidan Lyons gave evidence of arrest and caution.

He said Sychulec "made no reply" when he was charged at Athlone Garda Station shortly after his arrest at 11.50 am on Sunday.

Superintendent Noreen McBrien applied to have the defendant remanded in custody to Cloverhill Prison to appear before Cloverhill District Court on Friday.

Lesek Scychulec, charged with assault causing harm to Patryck Krupa, being driven away from Athlone Courthouse, where a large crowd gathered (Image: James Flynn/APX)

She said the investigation is continuing and "there may be further more serious charges."

Solicitor Owen Carty said his client, who has lived in Ireland for the past year having previously lived in Ireland around four years ago, was not seeking bail.

Mr Carty applied for legal aid and said the man was unemployed but not in receipt of social welfare.

"He tells me that his partner supports him," he said, adding that his client has no bank account.

Judge Seamus Hughes wanted to know whether the man had transferred money through the Western Union in the past fortnight.

When told the man hadn't, Judge Hughes directed the gardai to investigate whether any transfers had been made.

He deferred legal aid and remanded the defendant to Cloverhill Prison to appear before Cloverhill Disctrict Court on Friday.

A man is held back by gardai as Leszek Sychulec leaves the courthouse (Image: Eric Molloy)

A crowd of around 70 had gathered outside the district court as Mr Sychulec was brought in.

Uniformed and plainclothes gardai were backed up by an armed response unit as the crowd hurled abuse at the defendant.

Once in court, Mr Sychulec, who was dressed in a red t-shirt and black track suit bottoms appeared relaxed.

One woman began furiously shouting in Polish as he was being removed from the court. The tearful woman was with a small group including two other weeping women.